decreased by 32,100 to 10,256,900. Full-time employment decreased by 48,600 to 7,306,200 and part-time employment increased by 16,600 to 2,950,800.

UNEMPLOYMENT

decreased by 16,200 to 497,200. The number of persons looking for full-time work decreased by 4,800 to 355,000 and the number of persons looking for part-time work decreased by 11,400 to 142,200.

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

decreased by 0.1 percentage point to 4.6%. The male unemployment rate decreased by 0.2 percentage points to 4.5% and the female unemployment rate remained at 4.8%.

PARTICIPATION RATE

decreased by 0.4 percentage points to 64.7%.

NOTES

FORTHCOMING ISSUES

ISSUE

Release Date

November 2006

7 December 2006

December 2006

11 January 2007

January 2007

8 February 2007

February 2007

15 March 2007

March 2007

12 April 2007

April 2007

10 May 2007

CHANGES THIS MONTH

The ABS has introduced two new spreadsheets to the electronic product Labour Force, Australia, Spreadsheets (cat. no. 6202.0.55.001), which complement the data in this publication. These spreadsheets contain trend, seasonally adjusted and original estimates for persons aged 15 to 24 and 15 to 64 years. These new spreadsheets have been developed in response to increasing client interest in these age groups.

ROUNDING

Estimates of monthly change shown on the front cover have been calculated using unrounded estimates, and may be different from, but are more accurate than, movements obtained from the rounded estimates. The graphs on the front cover also depict unrounded estimates.

SAMPLING ERRORS

The estimates in this publication are based on a sample survey. Because the entire population is not enumerated, the published estimates and the movements derived from them are subject to sampling variability. Standard errors give a measure of this variability and appear on pages 27 and 28.

The 95% confidence intervals below provide another way of looking at the variability inherent in estimates from sample surveys. The interval bounded by the two limits is the 95% confidence interval. A 95% confidence interval has a 95% chance of including the true value of the estimate.

Movements in seasonally adjusted series between September and October 2006

Monthly change

95% Confidence interval

Total Employment

-32 100

-84 700

to

20 500

Total Unemployment

-16 200

-43 800

to

11 400

Unemployment rate

-0.1 pts

-0.3 pts

to

0.1 pts

Participation rate

-0.4 pts

-0.8 pts

to

0.0 pts

INQUIRIES

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070 or Bjorn Jarvis on Canberra (02) 6252 6525.

PRINCIPAL LABOUR FORCE SERIES TREND ESTIMATES

EMPLOYED PERSONS

The trend estimate of employed persons rose from 8,392,400 in October 1996 to 9,056,300 in September 2000. The trend then fell slightly to 9,037,600 in January 2001, before generally rising to stand at a high of 10,287,400 in October 2006.

UNEMPLOYED PERSONS

The trend estimate of unemployed persons generally fell from 763,300 in October 1996 to 583,800 in September 2000, before rising to 685,900 in October 2001. The trend then fell to 532,500 in January 2005, before rising to 549,100 in December 2005. Since then, the trend has fallen to stand at 505,600 in October 2006.

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

The trend unemployment rate generally fell from 8.3% in October 1996 to 6.1% in September 2000. After rising to 7.0% in October 2001, the trend fell to 5.1% in July 2005. The trend rose slightly to 5.2% in December 2005, before falling to stand at 4.7% in October 2006.

STATES TREND ESTIMATES

EMPLOYED PERSONS

NEW SOUTH WALES

The trend estimate of employed persons in New South Wales rose from 2,810,700 in October 1996 to 2,825,600 in February 1997. After falling to 2,801,700 in July 1997, the trend rose steadily to 3,038,100 in August 2000. Apart from small decreases in late 2000 and early 2003, the trend has since generally risen to stand at 3,301,700 in October 2006.

VICTORIA

The trend estimate of employed persons in Victoria generally rose from 2,103,400 in October 1996 to 2,359,300 in February 2003. After falling to 2,346,000 in June 2003, the trend has generally risen to stand at 2,555,600 in October 2006.

QUEENSLAND

The trend estimate of employed persons in Queensland rose steadily from 1,536,300 in October 1996 to 1,802,300 in April 2003. The trend has since risen more quickly to stand at 2,080,400 in October 2006.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

The trend estimate of employed persons in South Australia remained relatively steady from 654,400 in October 1996 until July 1997, when it stood at 660,200. The trend estimate then fell to 639,600 in June 1998, before generally rising to stand at 759,900 in October 2006.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

The trend estimate of employed persons in Western Australia generally rose from 849,200 in October 1996 to 986,800 in August 2004. The trend then increased rapidly for 13 months before returning to steadier growth. The trend now stands at 1,074,500 in October 2006.

TASMANIA

The trend estimate of employed persons in Tasmania, although fluctuating, remained relatively steady from 199,600 in October 1996 until March 2002, when it stood at 197,900. The trend then rose steadily to 224,300 in January 2006, but has flattened since then to stand at 223,000 in October 2006.